Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine welcomes its eighth class

Ed Hamilton

The school's Class of 2021 on their first day, July 24, 2017

By Alison Matthiessen

The eighth class arrived at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Virginia, today.

“Every year, I am impressed by the quality of our incoming class and this year is no exception,” said Cynda Johnson, dean of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. “Each student is competitive for medical school on paper based on their academic achievements, but they also have diverse backgrounds which is something we strive for to enrich their learning experience.”

For the first time in the school’s brief history, female students outnumber their male counterparts. Out of the 42 new students, 22 are women.

Over one third of the class is made up of Virginia residents. An equal number of students received their undergraduate degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia with five from each institution. Other schools that have more than one students represented by their undergraduate degrees in the class include: Georgetown University, Haverford College, University of California San Diego, and the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill.

The most popular undergraduate majors in the class were biology, neuroscience, and biochemistry. Almost 20 percent of the class has a graduate degree.

The school received 4,403 applications for 42 slots in the class.

This week, members of the new class are undergoing an intensive orientation where they are being introduced to everything from the school’s curriculum, learning environment, and academic standards to policies and procedures, financial aid, and student counseling.

Next week, they start their regular class schedule, which is anything but ordinary. Students at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine participate in a unique problem based learning curriculum, which centers teaching in small groups based on real patient cases.

The Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine opened its doors to its first class in August 2010 and has since graduated four classes, each with a 100 percent residency match rate.